It's Sad to Eat Pie Alone

Twenty-Three

Cas woke up on Christmas Day very excited. Christmas with the Winchesters was a little unconventional, as there was no tree, just a houseplant with some old crappy tinsel, but Cas really loved the Winchesters. He jumped out of his bed and ran into Dean's room.

"Wake up, it's Christmas!" He exclaimed, shaking Dean. Dean groaned and opened his eyes.

"Novak, what are you doing?" He asked groggily.

"It's Christmas! C'mon, Dean," Cas said, letting him go.

"Okay, okay, calm down, I'm getting up," Dean mumbled. He rolled out of his bed and pulled his shirt on, rubbing his eyes and running his hands through his hair.

"Good! Let's go get Sam up!" Cas exclaimed, grabbing Dean's hand and dragging him down the hall to knock on Sam's door.

"Sam! Sam, wake up!" Cas yelled. He heard Sam grumble and a thud.

"Sam?" Cas asked.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Sam said. A few seconds later the door opened and Sam stepped out, his hair bushy, rubbing his eyes. Cas pulled them both downstairs to the sad Christmas houseplant.

"Merry Christmas!" Cas exclaimed, grinning like an idiot.

"Merry Christmas, Novak," Dean said.

"Merry Christmas, Cas," Sam said, starting to smile as he woke up.

"Sit down, I'll be right back!" Cas said, running upstairs to his room. He grabbed two packages from under his bed and ran back downstairs to where Sam and Dean were sitting on the couch.

"Here!" He said, handing them their presents.

"They're not... They're not great, but I thought you'd like them," he said nervously.

"Well now I feel bad, I didn't get you anything, Cas," Sam said.

"Oh don't worry about it, Sam. Just open it," Cas said. Dean smiled at the enthusiastic look on Cas' face and opened his present. He held up the red flannel shirt with a smile.

"You seem to wear a lot of flannel... It's stupid, isn't it?" Cas said, getting nervous.

"I love it," Dean reassured him. Cas smiled and Sam started opening his.

"Oh, cool!" He said when he saw the Latin book.

"From what Dean said about you I thought you'd be the type to enjoy that," Cas said.

"Thanks, Cas!" Sam said, leafing through the book. Dean pulled the flannel on over his shirt and stood up to give Cas a hug. Cas hugged him back, smiling.

It wasn't what he was used to, but that was still the best Christmas of Cas' life. They went back out into the snow and had hot chocolate and they talked, and Sam was relentlessly teasing them about being together. Later that night, after Cas had gone up to his room and gotten ready for bed, he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said. Dean walked in, looking shy, which shocked Cas. He didn't think Dean knew how to look shy.

"Hi Dean. Did you want something?" Cas asked.

"I, uh, I didn't want to give it to you this morning, I mean, Sam teases us enough already, but... I got you something," Dean said, handing Cas a small box. When Cas opened it, there was a small silver pair of wings on a chain.

"If you don't want to wear it, I understand. It's not very manly... I- I shouldn't have given it to you," Dean continued, losing his nerve. He reached for the box, but Cas pulled it away.

"No, I love it," he said, smiling. He took it out and slipped it over his neck. Dean's eyes followed it and a small smile ghosted across his mouth as he saw it come to rest.

"Dean, I really do love it, but... Why wings?" Cas asked. Dean blushed softly.

"Because.... Because you're my angel," Dean muttered, embarrassed. Cas smiled and took a step forward, pressing his lips to Dean's. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas, kissing him back. When they broke apart, Cas took Dean's hand.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Cas asked him.

"Of course," Dean said softly. Cas smiled, and they crawled into the bed and Cas quickly fell asleep in Dean's arms.

***

The next day, Cas and Dean were in the kitchen. Sam was still asleep upstairs and Dean was pouring cereal, when Cas heard the front door bang open and quick footsteps. Cas turned towards the kitchen door just in time to see Naomi burst inside. Cas scrambled backwards, bumping into Dean, who put his arm around Cas to steady him.

"Castiel. You did not come home," Naomi stated. Cas blinked.

"I- I- I was h-here..." He stuttered, pressing closer to Dean.

"He spent Christmas with me, like I asked him to," Dean said, staring Naomi down.

"You were supposed to return to us, Castiel. But instead you still cavort with this... This man." She spit the word out like poison. Dean took a step forward, but Cas stopped him by putting a hand on his chest. Naomi's gaze hardened.

"If you will not rid yourself of this sin, I will rid you of it myself. I do this for you, Castiel," she said. The next thing Cas knew, he was against the wall and Naomi was standing next to Dean with a knife buried in his stomach. Dean looked down at Naomi's hand on the knife handle in shock. Naomi twisted the blade and Dean fell to the ground with a cry, his blood pooling  around his side. Cas couldn't think, his brain wouldn't work, he could only scream. He fell to his knees as Naomi stood, nudging at Dean with her foot. Cas crawled towards Dean, taking him by his shoulders. He faintly heard the sound of Sam's footsteps, but his world was turning black. Dean was dying.